Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original Argentine Model 1891 Mauser rifle manufactured by Ludwig Loewe of Berlin in 1894, Serial No. K 2331. It retains matching numbers on the receiver, barrel, and magazine, substantial original blued and niter blued finish, a bright bolt, an excellent bore, and an unusually well-preserved stock. The bolt and cleaning rod are mismatched, the Argentine chamber crest was removed when the rifle was sold out of service, and the wooden handguard ahead of the rear sight is missing.

This is an antique black powder firearm manufactured before 1899. Under federal law, it may generally be owned within the United States without a special license or permit and does not require transfer through a Federal Firearms Licensee. However, state and local laws may vary. This firearm is sold solely as a historical collector’s item and has not been test fired or inspected for firing safety by a professional gunsmith. Any mechanical or bore observations provided below describe only its present condition and should not be interpreted as confirmation that the firearm is safe to load or fire. The purchaser is solely responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The Model 1891 Argentine Mauser was one of several military export rifles developed from the Mauser Model 1889 action. Argentina adopted the design as a modern repeating service rifle during a period when Mauser was competing extensively for military contracts throughout Europe and South America.

This example was manufactured by Ludwig Loewe & Company of Berlin, which had held an ownership interest in Mauser since the late 1880s. Argentine Model 1891 rifles produced under the early contract bear the Ludwig Loewe Berlin receiver marking, while later examples were marked by Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken, or DWM.

The left side of the receiver is marked:

MAUSER MODELO ARGENTINO 1891.
MANUFACTURA LOEWE BERLIN.

The rifle is serial numbered:

K 2331

The complete K 2331 number is present on the receiver, barrel, and magazine assembly.

The bolt is mismatched and numbered:

P 2437

The cleaning rod is also mismatched and numbered:

F 7384

No serial number is visible on the stock.

Argentine contract serial numbers were issued sequentially with letter prefixes. The supplied contract records place rifles within the G0000 through L4999 range in 1894, supporting an 1894 production date for Serial No. K 2331. The exact month of manufacture cannot be established from the serial number alone.

The Argentine national crest formerly located over the chamber was ground away when the rifle was sold out of government service, as commonly encountered on Argentine surplus arms. The area was smoothed and refinished with a dull gray oxide finish.

Other Argentine inspection and property markings remain visible. Clasped Hands proofs are present on multiple components, and a Phrygian Cap marking remains on the left rear portion of the receiver.

Much of the remaining metalwork retains an attractive factory blued finish with very little overall wear. Nearly all of the iridescent niter blued finish remains on the nose cap spring and bolt release, an especially appealing detail on this example.

The bright steel bolt remains in good condition and shows light overall oxidation. Somewhat heavier oxidation is present on the bolt handle, as commonly seen from handling.

The buttplate retains a substantial amount of its blued finish. Light wear and oxidation are present, particularly across its upper portion.

The action cycles correctly, and the trigger mechanically releases the firing mechanism. No obvious mechanical failure was observed during basic handling.

The firing pin and extractor are present. The magazine’s feeding function was not tested.

The bore is one of the strongest features of this rifle. It remains bright and reflective with crisp lands and grooves and shows very little evidence of use.

The stock is in excellent overall condition, with attractive color and pronounced grain. Only minor dents and handling marks are present, with no major cracks or repairs observed.

The wood remains fully proud of the buttplate and does not show obvious evidence of having been sanded or refinished.

Because no serial number is visible and the stock is exceptionally well preserved compared with the metal components, it may be an arsenal replacement. This assessment is based on its present physical characteristics, however, and no documentation confirms when or where it was installed.

A crisp Argentine RA crest is stamped into the underside of the stock behind the trigger guard. The expected additional stock cartouche is not present.

The characteristic wooden handguard located between the receiver and rear sight is missing.

With its desirable Ludwig Loewe Berlin receiver marking, documented 1894 serial range, matching receiver, barrel, and magazine, extensive original blue and niter blue finish, surviving Argentine proofs, exceptionally clean stock, and excellent bore, this is a highly attractive Model 1891 Argentine Mauser. The removed chamber crest, mismatched bolt and cleaning rod, unnumbered possible replacement stock, missing cartouche, light oxidation, and absent handguard are fully disclosed. It would display particularly well in an Argentine military arms, Ludwig Loewe, early Mauser export rifle, South American contract rifle, or advanced 19th century military firearms collection.

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1894
Maker: Ludwig Loewe, Berlin
Model: 1891 Contract Argentine Mauser
Serial No.: K 2331
Caliber: 7.65×53mm Mauser
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 29 Inches
Overall Length: 48.5 Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: 5 round box magazine
Federal Classification: Pre-1899 Antique

More on the Model 1891 Argentine Mauser:

After the Mauser brothers finished work on the Model 71/84 for Germany in 1880, the design team set out to create a small caliber repeater that used smokeless powder. Because of setbacks brought on by Wilhelm Mauser's death, they failed to have the design completed by 1882, and the German Rifle Test Commission (Gewehr-Prüfungskommission) was formed. The commission preferred to create their own design, which was what became the Gewehr 1888, often called the "Commission Rifle".

In the meantime, Paul Mauser created two different variations of the same rifle, one with a stock strengthened with a barrel shroud and a traditional design following the layout of the 71 series, in hope he might be able to overturn the commission's decision, or at least sell his design to the Kingdom of Bavaria, which adopted its own arms. The two rifles became known as the 89 Belgian (with a barrel shroud) and the 91 Argentine (with a 71 layout) Mausers, identical in their function and feed system. The main features were the ability to use stripper clips to feed the magazine (a revolution in rate of fire), and its rimless cartridge (7.65 Argentine Mauser), advanced for the time.

The Mauser Company then set about trying to sell this new design. Unfortunately they failed to convince the Commission to reverse its decision, and the attempt to win over Bavaria did not succeed either. However, Mauser already had supplied arms to numerous countries, and when they were looking to update their rifles, they came back to Mauser. At the time, Belgium was looking to bolster its domestic arms industry, and felt that manufacturing a Mauser Design would really help them in this goal. This resulted in the founding of Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre, owned in part by Ludwig Loewe, to manufacture the Model 1889 Belgian Mauser. This company would go on to become a major arms manufacturer, which exists today as FN Herstal.

At the same time, the Ottoman Empire had a contract for Model 1877 Turkish Mausers, which were based on the model 1871. The contract however had an "escape clause" that allowed them to change the contract in the event of a more advanced Mauser system being developed. This resulted in a new contract for the Model 1890 Turkish Mauser. While this was taking place, the Argentine Small Arms Commission contacted Mauser in 1886 to replace their own Model 71s. Since they wished to keep retraining of their armed forces to a minimum, they went for the Mauser 91, as the operating principles were identical. As with other early Mausers, most such arms were made by the Ludwig Loewe company, who in 1896 joined with other manufactures to form Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken.

One of the principal defining features of the Belgian/Turkish/Argentine Mauser was its thin sheet steel jacket surrounding the barrel—a rather unusual element not common to any other Mauser mark of note. The jacket was instituted as a feature intended to maintain the effectiveness of the barrel and the solid wooden body over time, otherwise lengthening its service life and long-term accuracy when exposed to excessive firing and battlefield abuse. In spite of this approach, the jacketed barrel proved susceptible to moisture build-up and, therefore, introduced the problem of rust forming on the barrel itself–unbeknown to the user. In addition, the jacket was not perforated in any such way as to relieve the barrel of any heat build-up and consequently proved prone to denting. As such, barrel quality was affected over time regardless of the protective measure. Furthermore, another design flaw of the jacket was its extra steel content. Not only was it expensive but it was also needed in huge quantities to provide for tens of thousands of soldiers. By many accounts, the barrel jacket was not appreciated by its operators who depended on a perfect rifle in conflict. Another defining characteristic, unlike most Mausers, was a spring-loaded cock on closing bolt action resembling that of the British Lee-Metford, which predates the Mauser 1889 by five years. This development allowed for faster firing and was well received.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to most US States and most U.S. territories.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to most addresses within the United States.